Dili undecided on 'expert commission'
Dili undecided on 'expert commission'
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayudha met with
his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos Horta here on Sunday to
discuss human rights and the borders between the two countries.
Hassan told reporters after the meeting that the two countries
expected to reach an agreement on their land border before
October.
Only "10 percent" of the issue remains to be resolved, he
said. The discussion followed an agreement on border issues in
July.
The two foreign ministers, however, revealed little on the
sensitive issue of demands for an international tribunal -- or
the latest, an "international commission of experts" -- to try
Indonesian Military and police officers for alleged human rights
abuses in the aftermath of the 1999 independence referendum in
East Timor.
Hassan simply said Indonesia and East Timor were pursuing a
bilateral relationship "in the spirit of reconciliation".
Horta would only say that East Timor was adopting a wait-and-
see attitude on the call by several international human rights
organizations for the United Nations to set up an "international
commission of experts" to review efforts to attain justice for
East Timor, including those by the special crimes unit at the
Dili District Court. The idea was raised by the office of UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"We have not received any specific detailed information, such
as the terms of reference of this initiative of the secretary-
general .... The Timor Leste government will look at this and
will respond to this," Horta said.
The UN has yet to respond to a letter signed in June by
several non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch.
East Timor's leadership has repeatedly said that it needs good
relations with Indonesia. Last week Horta was quoted as saying
that calls for an international tribunal to try the 1999 crimes
"could be manipulated by certain elements in Indonesia itself"
and could cause a "backlash" against the international community.
Calls for an international tribunal follow the latest
acquittal of four Indonesian security officers last month by an
ad hoc human rights court for rights abuses following the 1999
referendum.
Horta praised Indonesia's success in organizing its
legislative and direct presidential election, saying this was a
positive sign for continued "constructive" bilateral relations.
"So whenever we deal with this issue of the past, we have to
bear in mind the reality of today, of the relationship of Timor
Leste with Indonesia," Horta said.
He said he would attend a ceremony to mark the 59th
anniversary of Indonesia's independence in Kupang, East Nusa
Tenggara, on Tuesday at the invitation of Governor Piet A. Tallo.